Author
Topic: Ingmar Bergman (Read 46651 times)

i just finished the seventh seal and although i love Bergman, i didn't like this one. i think what his appeal to me is that despite when his films were made, they all seem very modern and progressive; he tries to do something new in every one of them. however, i did not get that feeling tis time. to me it seemed dated, heavy handed, and lead footed. in all his other films, bergman has been more subtle and much more specfic; allegories as straight forward as this rarely work in film. time to go back and watch "Fanny and Alexander."

The site will feature articles and earlier publicized audio-visual material (radioshows, filmquotes, stills), never berofe seen drafts, behind-the-scenes documentaries, handwritten scripts and a lot more from the Bergman Foundation.

I'm two episodes into the TV-version of Scenes from a Marriage, and I'm loving it.

Is there any official word on whether Saraband will be released theatrically in the US? I heard rumors that it will, but only in theaters equipped with hi-definition equiptment...

i was able to see it at film forum in Manhattan. Its playing til August 11th, and i believe it is only getting a very limited US release (LA and NYC Art houses). It's really a shame because i found it to be a strong, emotional, and expertly-acted film. i should be posting a review on my film online film journal soon if anyone's interested in hearing more.

Just finished watching Through a Glass Darkly for the first time. The only other Bergman movies I have seen are The Seventh Seal (which i really liked) and Wild Strawberries (which I LOVE). I'm not sure why it's taking me so long to seek out his work. Well now I know what's shooting up on my netflix Q.

I don't even really know what to say. These three movies have effected me in ways few movies have been able to. I think it's mainly content. It's almost not just watching a movie, it's something more, something that really affects you as the viewer and makes you THINK. Or as my roommate said as he walked in on the last 15 minutes of TaGD, "What the fuck dude?"

I feel like I really missed out on his Retrospective at the Silver Theater. Oh well. Anyone have recommendations on what order his films should be viewed?

We often went to the cinema, the screen would light up and we would tremble, but also, increasingly often, Madeleine and I were disappointed. The images had dated, they jittered, and Marilyn Monroe had gotten terribly old. We were sad, this wasn't the film we had dreamed of, this wasn't the total film that we all carried around inside us, this film that we would have wanted to make, or, more secretly, no doubt, that we would have wanted to live.

Fanny and Alexander is considered by many (including me) to be his best work. Doesn't matter if you get the TV or theatrical version, both are exceptional.

Since you liked Through a Glass Darkly I'd also recommend the two other films that complete Bergman's religious trilogy: Winter Light and The Silence. They are basically two new takes on the same subject: the presence or absence of God.

I recently picked up the MGM Bergman Collection supplements disc for $3. Are all 5 of the films (Persona, Shame, Hour of the Wolf, Passion of Anna, Serpent's Egg) in the set worth picking up? Any that are avoidable?

WOW. The Silence was really umm silent. From the opening frames it was dripping in tone though. It amazes me how much Bergman did with really just three main characters, he reaches a broad range of emotions. Mainly the fealing of ultimate doom.

All of the shots of tanks didn't really hit me until the end of the movie. Or even the contrast of the sisters. Very good indeed.

Now what to say about Cries and Whispers. It seemed that it might be the favorite of this thread. I tried to keep that out of my head. Then once I saw a zoom shot I was kinda ehhh (not that zooms are always bad). So i put that aside as well. Then somewhere, not sure where, I feel like I was just Punched in the face.

This movie hurt to watch. I felt more uncomfortable watching this than say Irreversible. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it, and i'm not sure that i ever will. Again alot of feelings seem to come out of the tone of the movie, the great perfomances, moody lighting, and flashbacks.

Oh the flashbacks, I thought I was going to throw-up during one. It also didn't help the dvd that I watched was pretty badly scratched and of the two places where it stopped, one happened to be of Karin on the bed. Ewww...

Yeah, Cries and Whispers was painful, but in a good way. This Bergman films are so raw emotionally, so hard on the characters and us....I love them....

I think Hour of the Wolf is amazing as a horror film. A complete portrait of a man subconscious, and the black and white suits it perfectly.

Scenes from a Marriage is very realistic and you can sense how this influenced woody allen a lot later on.

Persona is my favorite, along with Wild Strawberrys.

That MGM Collection is pretty neat and the best part of it is how cheap it is compared to the criterion stuff. The Passion of Anna is slightly less interesting but absolutely worth several looks no matter what.

The Silence is incredibly intense for such a slow and quiet movie, I saw it maybe ten years ago and it still lingers in my head.

i think Herzog fanatics need to get together or else his vote'll be split and none of you will win. i'm being serious, i haven't seen any of his films (sadly) and i can't go and watch four or five films in time to vote. it seems he's great, but for the sake of the list! pick one.

I have the same situation with Bergman. Besides the essential top 5, I'm trying to keep my list to all new films and only one film per director. This time around I was going to select Fanny and Alexander but then I saw a few people pick Scenes From a Marriage in this thread so I switched. I don't mind doing a switch because both films are magnificent.